Air Blower

[Giottos rocket air blower is with me almost everywhere I go]

Just want to drop a short entry talking about this little but important accessory.

When I buy a new lens, the first thing first I put on a protective filter (my friend Eric has a different opinion, but that would be another topic to talk about). Filters prevent dust from getting into Lens' front unit. However, filters themselves collect dust over time as well. When your filter collects dust, it might make your photo looks bad (if you do macro, you will see it; if you do mid telephoto, it might make your picture blurry.)

Two safe ways to clean dust on the filter or lens are: brushes and air blower. Let's save brushes for next time since I think the best way out of these two is using air blower. It won't touch the filter, it just blows air, strong air, that blows dust away.

One of my pre-shooting routine is to check the dust on the filter. If you shoot outdoor events and change lenses a lot, you might put your lens here or there. You should check the filter during your shooting.

The good thing about these little air blowers is that they don't cost you fortune and they work! They are priced at around 10 to 20 dollars. I think some fancy ones are over priced and didn't give you much over some good cheaper performers. I use Giottos' rocket blower. It looks cute and the rocket shape makes it easy to stand. They come in three different sizes, mine is medium. I think it's strong enough and easy to carry. I carry it with me almost all the time. I think this is a rare accessory that wives will approve!